Bodog Makes Exit from Spanish Market

There have been recent reports that Bodog Europe has notified its online casino games players in Spain that it is pulling out of the country and as a result, they are no longer allowed to use their real money services and funds must be withdrawn by the end of the month.

Bodog’s move to leave comes ahead of new online casino game and poker regulations that are expected to be implemented within the next three months in Spain. Currently, there are reportedly over fifty operators of top online casino games sites are up for license within the country and the regulations would ban any unlicensed company immediately.

Many companies have experienced significant delays since applying for an online casino games license in Spain and have become increasingly frustrated. In February, Microgaming pulled skins out of the Spanish market after the passage of the Spanish Gambling Act 2011. They notified Spanish customers that they could no longer play on the network.

Others have speculated that Bodog’s decision to leave Spain also has to do with the recent indictment of its founder, Calvin Ayre.

There are over fifty companies that are thought to have applied for online casino games licenses in Spain, including PokerStars, PartyPoker, iPoker, Ongame, GTECH G2, and Groupe Bernarde Tapie, among others.

Spanish players are not the only ones to have issues on Bodog sites. It was reported that Bovada, Bodog’s US company, denied players from Maryland last week and denied permission to new players from New York, Utah and Washington State.